Mayweather has promised to fight me if I crush Collazo, reveals Khan

Khan, who announced on Monday that he will fight Luis Collazo in Las Vegas in May, was beginning to despair of getting in the ring with Mayweather until the world's best pound-for-pound boxer began a call to him with the words: 'Hey champ'.

By the time the call ended, Khan was in no doubt that a clinical job on Collazo would land him a date that looked to have eluded him when Mayweather pulled out of a showdown with him at the end of last year.

Comeback: Amir Khan will return to the ring after announcing he is to appear on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jnr's next title fight in Las Vegas

Confirmed: Khan announced the fight on his Twitter account

Take off: Khan will have waited 13 months for his next fight by the time the bout comes around

After confirming his May 3 meeting with Collazo at the Las Vegas MGM Grand — on the undercard for Mayweather’s bout with Marcos Maidana — Khan said: ‘A couple of weeks ago, Floyd came on the phone and said, “Hey champ, how are you doing?”

‘That was a great opening line, and it showed he is a respectful guy away from the camera. He then said, “The fight didn’t happen, but don’t be disappointed. You are one of the names I want to fight, and I know you are a big star. The fight will happen.”

‘He said he’s got three fights left in his career and that I would be one of them.

‘It could happen in a year, but I’m not going to chase it. I’ve made that mistake before. But it is an incentive to do a proper job on Collazo.’

The fight against Collazo will be Khan’s first since stepping up to welterweight. ‘He will be tough,’ said Khan. ‘I could have picked an easier fight, but we want a challenge to show we are serious.’

Layoff: Khan was last in action when he beat Julio Diaz in April, 2013 in Sheffield

Out of reach: Khan had hoped to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr but he will now be part of the American's undercard

Opponent: Louis Collazo (right) was beaten by Ricky Hatton in 2006

AMIR'S OPPONENT PUSHED HATTON TO THE LIMIT

A short detour on his way from Manchester Airport for his flight back to America would enable Amir Khan to confirm the difficulty of his fight on Floyd Mayweather’s undercard.

Ricky Hatton was extended to the absolute limit by Luis Collazo and was considered by many fortunate to have won his world welterweight title in Boston that night.

The Manchester Hitman needed all his traditional guts and courage to survive some wobbly moments on his way to a narrow points victory.

A substantial body of opinion at ringside scored him losing by a round.

However, Khan needs to make a convincing impression at welterweight if he is to force Mayweather into the ring.

Mayweather dumped him from this May 3 bill in Las Vegas in favour of a potentially easier fight against Marcos Maidana, whom Khan has already beaten.

If one broken promise is not to lead to another – come September – Khan needs to argue his case as flamboyantly and forcibly as George Carman QC used to do in the High Court.